I really wanted to like this book. The synopsis held so much promise, but the book failed to deliver as much as I hoped for from it. I enjoyed it well enough, but with a few tweaks it could have been an even more enjoyable read.

A historical YA account of growing up during the 60s and 70s. It's much like reading the autobiography of a madeup character. Drugs, free love, and the Vietnam war take focus as we go through the summer of 69 with the main charact.

I try to finish all of the books I get from NetGalley but unfortunately, I realized there is no way I'm getting through this one when I started it so I DNFed it pretty quickly. From our brief encounter, the main character was insufferable and we met him while he was driving high, which definitely didn't help. The writing was pretentious and over-the-top to the point of being unreadable. I was intrigued by this book because it promised some Woodstock and classic rock content but sadly, it really wasn't for me. I normally don't rate books I didn't finish but I can't imagine it got much better after the beginning.

"The counterculture has its sacraments in sex, drugs, and rock." A 1969 Life Magazine article was the first to coin the iconic phrase, which perfectly describes the contents of Todd Strasser's semi-autobiographical YA novel Summer of '69. Following 18 year old Lucas Baker during that illustrious summer, this book explores young love, drug use, the Vietnam War, Woodstock, and finding one's way in a rapidly changing world.

Lucas's lady love Robin has just left for her summer job as a camp counselor in Canada, and he doesn't know how they are ever going to survive a summer apart from each other. To make matters worse, he has been rejected by all of the colleges he applied to, which means that the Selective Service is going to be knocking at his door. All he really wants to do is while away the summer doing psychedelic drugs and dreaming about Robin, but now he has to figure out a way to dodge the draft too. It's an exciting time to be alive - word is that man is going to walk on the moon, and unbeknownst to everyone, a little concert in Bethel, New York is going to make history. Travel back in time to the 60s with Lucas and get a taste of what it was like to be young and alive during one of the most notorious eras in history.

There is no doubt that the 60s were a fascinating time period, which makes Strasser's semi-autobiographical account of the year 1969 all the more alluring. Most of the details in his book are based on factual events, making this novel feel authentic and genuine. It also takes some of the shine off of the 60s, as the main character Lucas spends much of the novel in a drug-induced haze, looking for ways to escape the Vietnam War. It was these draft-dodging attempts that I found most fascinating about this book, as I previously knew little about the many avenues people took to avoid the war.

While not a whole lot happens in Summer of '69, it provides readers a glimpse into the life of a hippie and gives them a feel for what it was like to come of age in one of the most infamous times in modern history.

Summer of ‘69 is a historical fiction novel about an 18 year old boy named Lucas, who had “high” hopes for his summer, which consisted of literally getting high, spending time with his girlfriend Robin, going to the Woodstock festival with his wild cousin Barry, and hanging with his friends Arno and Milton before they all go their separate ways for college. But his plans are put to a halt when Robin leaves to be a camp counselor for the summer, making him very lonely and sad. Things only get worse for Lucas when he receives a rejection letter from the only college he applied to, meaning he would be drafted into the Vietnam War unless he finds a way to be exempted. Lucas has a friend in Vietnam who he frequently exchanges letters with and details the horrors of the war, giving him even more determination to not get drafted. To make matters more tense, Lucas discovers the extent of his dad’s infidelity, making him question their relationship and his motives. He also has to help his overworked and concerned mother with his younger brother who has special needs. Lucas makes a new acquaintance in a girl who believes in free- love named Tinsley, who teaches him to worry less and just live in the moment. When he goes to the Woodstock festival, he experiences a sense of belonging with people who also enjoy the hippie lifestyle, unlike most of his family and friends who ridicule that way of life. I very much enjoyed reading about such an interesting life experience in the late 60’s and how the Vietnam War affected middle class youth like Lucas.

An enjoyable summer novel! Really enjoyed reading this one while listening to music. Didn't love many of the characters, but still a very enjoyable read.

The Summer of 69 provides a new insight into Woodstock and being drafted. Lucas Baker only has a few plans for summer one is to have fun with his friends, enjoy the experience that is Woodstock and do a little extra curricular drug testing. Soon Lucas discovers he may be drafted and life without his girlfriend isn't as simple as he thought it would be. Summer of 69 is another great read by Todd Strasser!

Summer of '69 by Todd Strasser was interesting to read but not exactly my cup of tea but still worth the read.

I LOVED IT FROM BEGINNING TO END!!

Characters were super relatable and the plot was great! I could not stop reading or put the book down! I deff would love to see more of this world (universe)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Summer of ‘69 by Todd Strasser! I have always been intrigued by the 60s and 70s so this was a fun read for me. I did not realize that this would be kind of autobiographical, but I truly enjoyed it and would recommend to others.

***ARC provided by Netgalley and candlewick press in exchange for an honest review***
***Free copy won in a Goodreads giveaway***

4.25*

This was requested on a whim because I was very intrigued to read more about the 60's and what it was like to live in this era and go on your day to day life with an uncertain future at the tip of your nose. And also, Woodstock. I didn't expect for it to feel like a semi autobiography of the author's youth, in a way and I have to say I really enjoyed. it was a pretty fun ride from beginning to end.

This is a book I will be revisiting one day and really let myself be more immersed in this world and Lucas's life, for sure!

This year marked the 50th anniversary of Woodstock and there have been a few titles published this year that are building on this nostalgia. In Summer of '69, Todd Strasser looks at the events on this prolific summer through the eyes of Lucas Baker, an 18-year old who is "old enough to kill, but not for voting" (thank you Barry Mcguire) and who's life could drastically change if he is drafted to the army. What follows is an adventure that will make the reader lose their rose colored glasses for this time period.

This was pretty good. Sometimes the shifts between first and third person were a bit annoying, but I thought the concept was interesting. I'm not a huge history buff, so I think this would have resonated with me more if I was.

Author: Todd Strasser | Published: April 9, 2019 by Candlewick Press | Series: Standalone | Length: 384 pages | Genre: YA Historical Fiction | Source: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

With his girlfriend, Robin, away in Canada, eighteen-year-old Lucas Baker’s only plans for the summer are to mellow out with his friends, smoke weed, drop a tab or two, and head out in his microbus for a three-day happening called the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. But life veers dramatically off track when he suddenly finds himself in danger of being drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam. If that isn’t heavy enough, there’s also the free-loving (and undeniably alluring) Tinsley, who seems determined to test Lucas’s resolve to stay faithful to Robin; a frighteningly bad trip at a Led Zeppelin concert; a run-in with an angry motorcycle gang; parents who appear headed for a divorce; and a friend on the front lines in ‘Nam who’s in mortal danger of not making it back. As the pressures grow, it’s not long before Lucas finds himself knocked so far down, it’s starting to look like up to him. When tuning in, turning on, and dropping out is no longer enough, what else is there?


When I first heard about this book I was super excited because you don’t see a lot of young adult books from this time period. I do know a little bit about this time period from doing research for school projects and from first-hand accounts from people that lived through it such as my grandparents and one of my bosses.

I also love and listen to a lot of the music that would have come out or been played around this time. While growing up and going to my grandma’s house my uncle would play all sorts of older rock music like the Rolling Stones. My grandma would listen to Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Later on when I got my first job I would listen to lots of hits from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, CCR, etc. on my boss’s juke box. I never got to live through this time myself, but every time I hear the music I’m reminded of my childhood. It was really neat to see all the music references in this book and actually get them. I feel like some of it may be lost on people that don’t listen to or don’t know about music from the ’60s.

I feel like apart from knowing a little bit about what was going on around this time and listening to some of the music, this book didn’t really resonate with me. Whereas it might more so with someone who actually lived it.

Throughout the book the point of view kept switching from first person to third person which kind of frustrated and confused me at times. I get that it was probably used to differentiate between sober Lucas and on drugs Lucas, but I don’t know why his nicknames he used irked me. It overall seemed choppy and weird.

One thing I kept waiting for was the main character, Lucas, to grow up and get his life together. It felt like that never really happened in the book. Everything just kind of got smoothed over as he kept doing his own thing.

I also wasn’t too crazy about the sort of love triangle that happened in this book and how it was kind of resolved. It made me kind of want to punch Lucas.

Overall, I did like this book, but I just wish I felt more connected with it than I ended up feeling. I really do think that people that lived though this year might like this book a little more so than people my age or younger.

I gave this book 2.5/5 stars on Goodreads.

* Got this ARC in exhange for a honest review by Netgalley*
DNF 16%
It sounded interesting when i read about what the book was about. But as i started it, at first Lucas, he main character seemed like a lovesick complaining puppy, then as i went further in he ended up as a pot-smoking wierdo? Needy and apperaently can't be a man himself? Because he let Tinsley do those things, and think those sexual things. But it dosen't matter? because his girlfriend are miles away in Canada...? He was mixed between an annoying weed-smooking needy guy to a lovesick puppy and i just could'nt invest further to see if he managed to get into college or not. I even had slight problems detecting the time-line where this was written. Maybe this is just me, because i've seen it get high praise. But, i just could not last.

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! At first, I had a hard time getting into the author's writing style -- but about a quarter of the way in, I was hooked. I've always loved learning about the 1960s, specifically 1969, so it was fascinating to get a semi-autobiographical look at the era. I think the 1960s are so often romanticized, and this book was a breath of fresh air because it provided a look at the difficulties of the time: the horrors of the Vietnam War, the lengths men went to to avoid the draft, the discrimination experienced by the counterculture and the sometimes scary reality of drug use and addiction.

My sole purpose of wanting to read this book was the Woodstock element. As an attendant of Woodstock '99, I have all sorts of nostalgia for all the Woodstock festivals. But this book isn't really about that. Sure, he goes to Woodstock at one point in the book-- but it's such an afterthought and a blip on the radar that I wouldn't have even included it in the synopsis.

This book is really about a dude who likes to do drugs and worry about things. And he has plenty to worry about!! He's right on the cusp of being drafted to serve in the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. With boys dying by the thousands, it's a valid fear for him to have. But I didn't really think the getting high part was helping with his dilemma. But hey, to each his own... I'd probably get high too if I thought I was about to go die in the jungle.

Lucas as a character just didn't do it for me. He wasn't really likable, he wasn't good at anything or motivated to better himself-- and he was more than a little self-centered. He sort of reminded me of Holden Caulfield (who I severely disliked) because he would think of doing all these grand things, but never follow through.

What I really liked: I was super surprised to go on this draft journey with Lucas. My own father was drafted during this time (he didn't end up in Vietnam, but went through all the fears and realities of being drafted, trained, and assigned), so I really enjoyed reading about what it was like for Lucas. I also found the information that Lucas got from his buddy that was serving over there to be so disturbing and heart-wrenching. I wasn't prepared for this book to have such sad/serious moments.

This book went deeper than I was expecting, but there still seemed to be something missing. Was it the fact that I didn't connect with the main character?? Was it the meandering plot that went through a lot of mundane moments to get to the point of the story?? I'm not 100% sure, but there seemed to be something lacking for me.

OVERALL: Meh. At times I liked it, but other times I was totally bored. I didn't love the main character, but I was interested in his overall plight. I kind of just wished this whole book was set at Woodstock and about something completely different.

This was a wild ride of a Summer of ‘69, for sure! This was a fast paced, part autobiographical account of this crazy summer. Lucas is 18, and has just found out he didn’t get accepted to the college of his choice and is now faced with possibly getting drafted to Vietnam. This story contains violence, sex and lots of drug use, but feels like an accurate description of the time. Lucas also experiences Woodstock in the story which was awesome. I’d highly recommend this historical fiction, just not too sure I’d suggest it for YA.
Thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for this ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed Summer of ‘69. The sixties and seventies have always been eras I’ve been interested in. I really liked that this book was slightly autobiographical as well.

a nostalgia inducing novel, I really enjoyed it! What made me request it was the cover (which makes the song get stuck in my head) and the description, which makes me think of all of those old live concerts my dad likes to watch from the 70's. It was nostalgia inducing for an era I was born 30 years to late to partake in.